A Novel Experience
by Beast of Rendall
Summary: Newly recruited into the Shepherds to serve as their tactician, the amnesiac Robin finds himself surrounded by a colorful cast of warriors and friends. But with so many wonderful characters, who would stand out to him?
1. Chapter 1

_**You know, it's amazing how many ideas a person can come up with on a slow day. On the day I decided to write this story, I also had two or three other ideas, all Fire Emblem-related. But, that's what happens when you get re-addicted to one of your favorite games. Since this one was my first idea, I decided to start with it.**_

 _ **For those wanting to better imagine my version of Robin, here are his settings in the character creation mode. For any future Awakening fanfics I may write, I will most likely be using this same design.**_

 _ **Male**_

 _ **Build 01**_

 _ **Face 05**_

 _ **Hair 03**_

 _ **Hair Color 04**_

 _ **Voice 02**_

 _ **With that, I hope you all enjoy the first chapter of 'A Novel Experience'!** _

* * *

**Chapter 1: Welcome to the Flock**

When Robin first woke up in the middle of a field with three strangers gazing down at him, he knew immediately, if only in the back of his mind, that he was in for an interesting experience. How interesting, however, he could never have predicted. Within hours of meeting these people, he had been recruited into their forces, the Shepherds, to serve as a tactician for their country Ylisse after they had seen him in action.

Robin was a quiet but friendly man, though he gave off a different sort of vibe. His heavy cloak shrouded his body, making it difficult to determine what sort of build he had. His hair, fairly long and green in color, was typically slicked back in a messy fashion, since the man didn't care much for spending time to appear presentable. Strange, dark markings were tattooed beneath his eyes, which almost always had a tired look to them.

As of right now, Robin was being led to the Shepherds' barracks, his guide the seemingly always excited princess of Ylisse, and one of the three who had found him, Lissa. He had just met her older sister, the Exalt of the kingdom, Lady Emmeryn. For now, he was to meet the others who he would be serving with. He had already met a few of them.

Their leader was Chrom, who had been the man to insist Robin join their cause. Next in line for the throne, the young prince was quite skilled with the blade and more amicable than one would think royalty would be, but then again the same could be said of his sisters. Though he'd only known him for a few days, Robin felt as though the blue-haired man was one he could trust, a sentiment Chrom returned.

Unfortunately, his second in-command and assistant, Sir Frederick, was not so quick to trust. The imposing knight had been keeping an eye on their newest member since they first met. While Robin agreed with his reasoning (he wouldn't be so quick to trust a supposed amnesiac right off the bat either), it was rather uncomfortable. While they were eating that first night, the larger man had been glaring across the campfire at him as though he were some sort of savage as he ate. In fact, the man had seemed so concerned with the stranger in their midst that he seemed to forgo eating at all. A real shame, too; Robin found bear meat to be quite good. In fact, he'd saved some of it as something to snack on.

"Hellooo, Earth to Robin~!" The princess' voice called out his name, shaking the tactician from his thoughts.

"Ah, sorry." He apologized, smiling slightly. "Just thinking about how fast these past couple of days have gone. What were you saying?"

Lissa grinned. "I said that we're here, at the barracks! Time to meet everyone!" She explained, the man nodding in response. Lissa stepped inside the building, Robin following a few steps behind her as he looked around. It looked somewhat cluttered and unorganized, but also had an odd sort of cozy feel to it that helped ease Robin's nerves. At the sound of several voices, the man looked forward to see a more open area, where several people were speaking.

"Here we are!" Lissa told him, arms held open in a welcoming gesture. "The Shepherds' garrison! Go on, make yourself at home!" Robin stepped forward and took another look around, as the three people present approached. The boxes were all pushed along the edges of the little gathering area, a couple of cheap but comfortable looking chairs and couches bunched together. To one side, Robin spotted a few weapons racks, and a rather impressively large suit of armor with yellow accents, seemingly decorating a mannequin.

"Lissa, my treasure! Are you all right? I've been on pins and needles!" One of the people present, a young blond woman asked as she ran over, a rather worried look on her face. Judging by her rather fancy pink outfit and her expensive-looking hairstyle, Robin assumed that she must have been a noble of some sort. Lissa laughed slightly at her friend's panic. "Oh, hey Maribelle!" She greeted her friend, apparently named Maribelle, rather casually.

"'Oh hey' yourself! Why, i've sprouted fourteen gray hairs fretting over you in your absence!" She retorted, sounding annoyed at the princess's tone. Lissa patted her on the arm in an attempt to calm her. "Oh relax, Maribelle, I'm not so delicate as to be done in by a little scrap and some walking! Could do without the bugs and bear meat, though..." She answered, to which Robin chuckled inwardly.

"Hey squirt! Where's Chrom? I bet he had a rough time out there without ol' Teach and his trusty axe to watch his back!" Bellowed the only other man present; a man who, for some reason, was not wearing a shirt, though his massive grin was almost as noticeable.

Lissa looked at him mischieviously. "Oh, so now you're calling yourself 'Teach'? Hee hee! Here I was thinking people were just born lacking wits. I had no idea it could be taught!" She quipped, so quickly that Robin assumed this sort of thing must be fairly common.

The man laughed confidently. "Ha! Never doubt the Vaike! … Wait, was that an insult?" He asked, perplexed by her words. As Robin was about to step in to introduce himself, the final person present approached and spoke up.

"Beg pardon, but when might we see the captain?" She asked softly, as though to not interrupt the conversation. She wore a short purple dress, with some armor over her arms, legs, and chest. Some sort of white feather decoration was pinned in her long, brown hair, which matched her eyes. Maribelle chortled in response to her question, turning to her friend.

"Poor Sumia's simply been beside herself with concern... Her eyes were scanning the horizon all day during training. … She might have earned fewer bruises fighting blindfolded." Maribelle explained, the princess laughing.

"Aw, Sumia, that's so sweet of you to worry about Chrom!" She told the woman, whose face reddened slightly.

"Worry?" She repeated, locking her fingers together in what Robin assumed was a gesture of embarrassment. "Well, I... He's our captain and our prince- of course I'd worry!" She pointed out, sounding eager to change the subject somehow.

Luckily for her, someone finally seemed to have noticed the newcomer standing patiently behind their princess. "So, who's the stranger?" Vaike asked, and the women both looked at him as well. Their expressions of curiosity almost made it seem as though they hadn't noticed him at all up until that very moment.

 _"I didn't think I was that easy to overlook."_ Robin thought to himself in amusement.

Lissa grinned and stepped aside, gesturing for Robin to step forward as she held her hands toward him, as if presenting some fantastic new product at a fair. "No one's stranger than you, Vaike..." She jabbed quickly, unable to resist. "But allow me to introduce the newest member of the Shepherds, Robin! Chrom's made him our new tactician, and he's great with a sword and magic, too!"

Robin chuckled quietly, not used to such praise, and Vaike spoke up once again. "Oh yeah? Well can he do THIS?" He challenged, letting out a thunderous burp in their new team member's direction. Robin's expression soured slightly, able to smell the man's breath from where he stood, but he decided to ignore it.

"I'm quite sure I lack that particular skill, 'Teach'." He said, speaking for the first time. He glanced over at Lissa, then returned his gaze to the man. "But rest assured with the knowledge that you'll be my first choice should such a skill ever prove useful in battle." Lissa giggled at the joke, and Robin smiled, a bit proud, standing up a bit straighter. "Anyway, it's a pleasure to meet you all." He continued, bowing slightly in greeting.

Maribelle seemed somewhat affronted by the axe-wielder's method of introduction, shaking her head. "Ugh, Vaike!" She scoffed, pointing the parasol in her hand at him as though in threat. Judging by his somewhat intimidated reaction, perhaps a non-idle one as well. "Such a rude way to introduce oneself! Must you baseborn oafs pollute even the air with your buffoonery?" She turned to the tactician, who stiffened slightly until he noticed her somewhat less critical expression. "Let us hope that such an occasion never occurs, shall we?" She asked, turning to walk away with a huff.

Robin stood there awkwardly as he and the others watched her walk away. "Well, you could have made a worse first impression." Sumia said with a small smile, which he assumed was an attempt to comfort him. "Don't take it to heart, Robin. Maribelle warms to people slowly."

Lissa nodded in agreement with a roll of her eyes. "Or burns too quickly, hee hee!" She argued. "But yeah, just give her some time."

"Settling in alright, Robin?" Asked someone from behind. Robin turned to see Chrom, smiling as he looked at him and everyone else.

"Ah! Captain! You've returned! I was- I mean, we were so-" Sumia started, quickly walking forward. Unfortunately, some papers on the ground made her slip, and she fell forward with quite a loud thud. Robin quickly stepped over, taking a hold of her right arm gently to help her up. She dusted herself off as he let go, face burning intensely.

Chrom looked at her with concern. "Are you alright, Sumia?" He asked, glancing down. "... Those boots of yours again?" Robin arched an eyebrow curiously. _"Again?"_ He thought to himself, wondering how often it must happen.

The girl shook her head, once again interlacing her fingers together. "No! I mean, yes! I mean..." She stuttered out, sighing loudly in her embarrassment. Robin placed both his hands behind his back, looking over at the prince as the others formed a semicircle in front of him. "All right," He said, wanting to get back on track now that he was sure Sumia was alright. "Listen, everyone: in the morning, we'll be marching to Regna Ferox!"

Robin tilted his head slightly at the name. "Regna Ferox?" He asked. Sumia spoke up, having regained her composure. "A unified kingdom to the north of Ylisse. Supposedly, it's inhabited by barbarians." She explained, receiving a thankful nod from the tactician in return.

"Warriors is what they are, and we'll need their strength to quell this new menace." Chrom resumed, crossing his arms. "Typically the exalt would request such aid in person. But given recent events... Well, the people might worry should my sister suddenly leave the capital. So the task has been passed to us. Now, this mission is strictly voluntary. So if, for any-"

"I volunteer!" Lissa chirped immediately, bouncing up and down with her hand raised like a student in school. "Me too! You'll be needin' ol' Teach along for such a delicate mission!" The burly man declared moments after, pointing a thumb at his chest dramatically.

"I'll go as well." Robin heard a voice he didn't recognize say. He turned to look, but saw no one else there. _"Wait, wasn't that armor on the other side of that weapon rack?"_ Robin wondered to himself, though he dismissed the thought after a moment.

"I... I, um..." Sumia muttered, the others all looking at her. "Yes, Sumia?" Chrom asked curiously.

Sumia looked up from her hands, though she had trouble meeting their captain's eyes. "It's just that... I'm not sure I'm quite ready for a proper mission just yet. I'd probably just get in the way..."

Chrom smiled, his serious expression softening. "Well," He offered. "You could stay behind the main group, and if a battle is met, just watch and learn? Your choice, of course. But some lessons can only be learned on the battlefield."

Sumia nodded slightly, still unsure. "W-well, if you think it wise, Captain." Chrom laughed. "Just stay by me, and you'll be fine!" He assured her.

The young woman's expression brightened, and she finally managed to look him in the eye. "Oh, yes!" She said excitedly, before remembering to be professional. "I mean- Yes, sir, I'll do that!" Robin smiled at her newfound determination, having a feeling he knew where it came from.

Chrom nodded, then looked at everyone. "Alright then! Everyone is dismissed until tomorrow morning! Oh, and Robin! Virion will show you to the mens' quarters after he gets here. For now, I have to go speak to Frederick about tomorrow. Sleep well, everyone."

Once Chrom left, it wasn't long before they were joined by Sully and Virion, two Shepherds who Robin had met shortly after joining the prince. Sully, much like her rather masculine name, was crude and strong, not to mention a bit intimidating. Still, Robin found her casual, if a bit crass, personality to be something of a breath of fresh air, much like with Lissa. Based on what he had learned in their brief travels, she was an old friend of Chrom's and a student of Frederick's.

Virion was somewhere on the opposite end of the spectrum; he carried himself with a certain level of poise and composure matched only by his rather dapper getup. While he seemed a bit full of himself, the self proclaimed "Archest of Archers" was still rather friendly, and was at least skilled enough with his bow that his words weren't mere boasts.

"Ah, what a pleasure it is to be back, at our home away from home!" The nobleman sighed contently, walking over to a small kitchen set up to prepare some tea. Sully rolled her shoulder as she kicked off her boots once she got to a couch, plopping down comfortably after a long day of walking and standing.

"You said it." She agreed, massaging her foot with one hand. She looked over at Robin, who was standing off to the side on his own, not sure what to do. "Hey Robin, you meet everyone yet?" She asked, the man turning towards her. Seeing it as invitation enough, he walked over and sat down in a large chair to Sully's left.

"I don't know." He said, and before long the other Shepherds were also sitting down with them. Vaike sat down beside Sully on her couch, while Lissa and Maribelle took up another couch across from them. Sumia glanced around, before deciding to sit with the two blonds, on the side nearest their new member. "Is this everyone?" He asked as Virion emerged from the kitchen, a large tray of tea and some small cakes in his hands. The archer set the tray on the table that the seats were arranged around, before sitting across from Robin.

"Nah, there's three others." Sully said, taking a long sniff of the tea and treats. "Stahl, another knight, and our mage Miriel are out on some errands for the mission tomorrow. You'll see them tomorrow. Then there's Kellam. I haven't seen him since we got back, though." As she spoke, Virion began to pour tea for everyone, passing the glasses to Sully and Maribelle to hand down to everyone else.

Robin took his glass and plate from Vaike with a thankful nod, gently blowing on the drink before taking a small sip. "I see." He said, placing the cup on its plate in front of him.

Sumia looked at him curiously. "So Robin," She asked as she took a sip of her own drink. She held the glass with both hands, lowering it to rest in her lap. "Can you tell us a little about yourself?" The others all looked at him as well, the man shifting slightly under their gaze.

"Well, I would like to, but I'm afraid I can't tell you much." He said with a nervous smile, confusing those he had just meant. "And why, pray tell, is that?" Maribelle asked, a suspicious tone to her voice. Vaike seemed about to ask as well, but luckily Lissa was there to interrupt.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you guys!" She said, scratching her head in embarrassment, everyone looking at her. "Robin has amnesia." She explained, earning a few surprised looks. Vaike glanced at Robin curiously. "He doesn't look that pale." He observed, confused. Maribelle sighed and placed a hand on her forehead, while the others, Robin included, laughed to themselves.

" _Amnesia_ , not _anemia,_ Vaike." Maribelle corrected quietly, shaking her head. "It means that he's lost his memory."

Vaike blinked, then laughed awkwardly. "Uh, y-yeah!" He said, rubbing his nose. "I knew that! You know Teach loves to joke, yeah?" Robin smiled at the poor attempt to save face, already starting to feel more comfortable in the the group.

Sumia turned back to him. "So you don't remember anything?" She asked, Robin placing a hand on his chin as he thought.

"Sort of." He said after a moment of thinking. "Since Chrom and Lissa found me, I've been able to remember a few things; my name, how to fight, and my birthday, though I don't know how old I am. But beyond that, my tactical knowledge, and basic skills needed to function, nothing. And even my name and birthday didn't come to me immediately. Needless to say, Frederick lived up to his apparent title; the man never let me out of his sight the entire time we traveled to this city."

Lissa giggled. "I wonder who Robin is?" She said curiously, eager to hear the others opinions. "Maybe he's some sort of traveling fortune teller, drifting the land with nothing but his tome and sword by his side!"

Vaike laughed at the idea, and Robin smiled slightly. "Nah," The burly man said. "I'll bet he's some sort of noble, off to visit somebody about a business venture or something!" Maribelle rolled her eyes. "Really, Vaike, where do you get these wild ideas?" She asked, taking a drink of her tea.

The man frowned. "Well, what do you think he is?!" He asked.

Maribelle set her drink down and looked at Robin, who found himself instinctively sitting up straighter under the woman's stare. "Well, I highly doubt he's a noble." She theorized. "His clothes are certainly unique, but they don't seem to be particularly expensive. And he doesn't have the bearing necessary for a member of the nobility." Robin arched an eyebrow at this last part; what exactly did that mean?

Virion chuckled. "Ah, always so harsh, my dear lady!" He scolded her in a friendly tone. Sully shrugged. "So what if his clothes aren't that fancy?" She asked, mouth full of a snack cake as she pointed to her own rather simple outfit. "I'm a noble, and I don't both with any of that dressy horse-crap!"

Maribelle let out a quiet "hmph" in response, apparently deciding that she was done contributing to the conversation. Lissa grinned at her friend's refusal to defend her point, then looked at Sumia. "What about you, Sumia?" She asked. "What do you think Robin may have been?"

The brown haired-girl flinched slightly as the conversation was steered in her direction, taking a sip of her tea to calm her nerves. "W-well..." She said, trying to stall for time as she looked at the topic of their conversation, who was resting his head on his hand, an amused smile on his face from the antics of the others. She tried to do as Maribelle had, analyzing his appearance, and found her attention drawn to the markings beneath Robin's eyes. An idea came to her, and she smiled.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, sounding more eager as her mind began to work. "What if Robin is a... a member of an ancient warrior tribe that lives deep in the mountains, so they wear those heavy cloaks to protect them from the deep cold! Ooh, and maybe those tattoos are like the marks they give to people once they've proven that they're worthy of being considered men in the tribe! Maybe he was kicked out of his tribe because he challenged the chief, and he lost his memory from fighting his old friends!"

Sumia grinned and looked around to see what everyone thought of her idea, only to find that everyone was silently staring at her, Robin included. She blushed intensely, realizing how foolish she must have sounded once she thought about what she had said, and quietly took a long sip of her tea, hands and cup shaking noticeably.

Sully finally broke the awkward silence, laughing. "Damn, Sumia. You need to stop reading so much!" She joked, which only served to embarrass the poor girl further. Vaike and Lissa laughed, while Maribelle simply smiled and shook her head in amusement. Virion attempted to think of something to say, when Robin spoke up.

"Oh, I don't know." He said thoughtfully, taking a bit of a cake he had picked out. "It certainly sounds like an interesting life to have lived. Though I can't imagine myself a member of any sort of tribe." Sumia looked at him in surprise, and he simply grinned.

Virion chuckled. "Certainly not!" He agreed. "If I had to guess, I would say that Robin is some sort of soldier, or perhaps a mercenary. According to Chrom, our friend here was already armed with a sword and tome when he was found. And while his clothes may not be fit for a royal court, they seem quite practical as traveling gear; protecting his body from the sun, bugs, concealing any weapons he might be carrying."

Lissa whistled, impressed with the nobleman's analysis. "Wow, that sounds really cool!" She said, and Robin feared what sort of scenario she must be imagining him in at the moment. Maribelle finished her tea and set it down on the table. "Quite." She said simply, standing up from the couch. "Well, I'm afraid I must retire for the night. I bid you all good luck in your march tomorrow."

She looked at Lissa. "And do be careful, dear." She insisted, the girl saluting jokingly in response. Maribelle turned to Robin. "I expect to hear good things about your journey when you all return! I'm curious to see why Chrom wanted you as our tactician." With that, she walked off to what Robin assumed was the female area of the building, and the tactician sighed.

"No pressure." He said with a slightly nervous laugh. Vaike laughed. "Ah, don't worry about it!" He assured him. "If Chrom trusts you, then Teach trusts you too!"

Sully nodded. "The oaf's right." She agreed, the man in question glaring at her, which she ignored. "I've seen you fight, and you're no slouch. Like he said, if Chrom thinks you're good enough for the Shepherds, you're good enough!"

Virion raised his glass in toast. "Here here!" He said dramatically, and Robin couldn't help but raise his own in kind.

Sumia smiled. "I'm sure you'll do well." She concurred, Lissa grinning at him beside her. The princess hopped up, stretching her arms and back.

"Well, I'd better get to bed too." she announced with a drawn out yawn. "I'll see you all in the morning!" Sully stood as well, obviously getting the same idea. "See ya." She said, waving as she picked up her boots. Vaike left soon after, heading to the men's quarters.

With them gone, Sumia, Virion, and Robin all fell into a comfortable enough silence, though Robin couldn't help but shake the feeling that he was being watched. He reached for another snack, and noticed that one of the glasses was missing. "Perhaps one of the girls took theirs to bed." He determined.

Robin glanced at their side of the table to see if one of their cups was missing, and found his eyes drawn to Sumia, who was staring down into her cup. "I hope I don't get in anybody's way..." She muttered, taking a slow sip of tea.

Robin glanced back at Virion, who sighed and shook his head. "Sumia, my dear, please don't put yourself down so badly." The archer advised, surprising the girl. "Just as they said to Robin; You're in the Shepherds because people like Chrom, Frederick, and even myself trust your skills and potential."

Robin nodded in agreement. "He's right." He said, Sumia looking at him curiously. "You trust Chrom's judgment, don't you? So if Chrom thinks you worthy to fight at our side, who are you to question it?"

Sumia thought about their words for a moment before smiling. "I suppose you're right." She said, sounding a bit more confident. She placed her cup on the table. "Thank you, Virion. Robin." She stood up. "I'm going to go to bed now. It was nice meeting you, Robin!" The green-haired man returned her smile, glad to see she was feeling better. "Likewise. Good night, Sumia." He bid her in return.

She ran down the hall, only to knock a few spears propped up against the wall over. She let out a squeak of panic and quickly grabbed them, setting them back up, only for the weapons to fall in the other direction. She grabbed them once again, and after a moment of thinking, wedged them each between some boxes that were stacked nearby. Satisfied they wouldn't fall over now, she continued down the hall, more slowly now.

Robin and Virion both chuckled at the clumsy display. "Poor girl." Virion said, taking a sip of tea. "I bet if she wasn't always so worried about looking like a fool, she'd perform far better."

Robin nodded in agreement, having noticed her lack of confidence. He glanced at the other man, only to see that he was now staring at him rather intensely. "Now that things are more private, I believe it's time to discuss something of a more serious manner." He told the tactician, who placed his glass down and leaned forward. Perhaps he had some information to divulge about their destination?

"I'm listening." Robin assured Virion, who took one last look around the room.

"Good. Now then..." Virion leaned forward as well, and looked Robin dead in the eye. "What do you think?" Robin blinked, confused.

"Uh... what?" He asked, lost.

Virion grinned. "The women, dear boy. What do you think about our lovely companions?" He clarified, leaving his comrade dumbstruck.

"... Again, what?" Robin asked, though this time it was more out of disbelief than confusion. Was Virion really asking him what he thought of the women he just met?

When Virion said nothing, only continued to stare, Robin sighed and slumped back in his chair. "I thought you wanted to talk about something _important_." He complained, resting his head left hand.

Virion sighed, sounding disappointed in the tactician. "Robin my friend, what could be more important than the beauty that stands before us? Surely you have at least SOME sort of opinion on the girls?" Seeing that he wasn't going to drop the subject, the man ran his other hand through his hair.

"Honestly, Virion, I don't know what you want me to say." He said insisted. Virion thought. "Well, then let us start with Lissa, the first you met!" He suggested.

Robin rolled his eyes, but decided to humor him. Or at least, try to. "She's nice and funny." He said simply. "Sully is strong and blunt about how she feels, something you seem quite familiar with." Virion chuckled nervously, avoiding his gaze for a moment.

"Maribelle, I honestly don't know. She doesn't seem too keen on me, at the very least." He continued, sounding thoroughly uninterested in the topic at hand. Virion went over the names Robin had listed in his head, and smiled. "And what of Lady Sumia?" He asked.

Robin thought for a moment, as the girl had certainly made the biggest impression of the people he had met just today, what with her dramatic theory and her clumsy behavior. It seems he went too long without responding, however, as the noble's grin grew wider still. "Ah, I see." He hummed confidently. Robin frowned. "What do you see?" He asked.

"Oh, nothing my friend." He assured him, obviously lying. "I must admit, there is most certainly a kind of charm in her clumsy antics. Something... endearing, if you will. And she's most certainly beautiful. Not a bad choice, my friend. Although you may find her a rather difficult fish to catch, to refer to an old analogy." Robin looked at him silently, a blank expression on his face.

After a few moments, he stood. "I was told you were going to guide me to where I am to sleep, correct?" He said, growing tired of the man's interrogation. Virion laughed, striding over to him and patting his shoulder. "Relax, Robin." He insisted. "I merely jest. These kinds of topics come up all the time when we're not fighting; better to get used to it now than when you're with the whole group, eh?"

Robin managed a small smile, but shrugged the hand off of him. "Yes, yes, I forgive you." He said, yawning. "But seriously, Virion. Bed?" The nobleman nodded and beckoned him to follow, heading down the path that Vaike had left down earlier. Robin glanced back, remembering the tray of tea and snacks, but saw that it was already gone. He arched an eyebrow, but decided to ignore it. _"Sleep now, ghosts later."_ He instructed himself.

Before long, Robin found himself being directed to an empty cot, a large chest at its end with a simple end table, plus a coat rack. Virion sat down on the cot beside his. "Well, here we are!" He said as Robin removed his heavy coat, placing on a hook of the coat rack. "Not the most glamorous abode, but it works for what it's needed." Virion removed his boots, placing them at the foot of his bed and removing his cravat. He laid down, pulling his cover over himself. "Well then, sleep well and rise early." He said, turning over away from the tactician.

Robin nodded, and glanced down at his cot, lightly bouncing on it as if to test its sturdiness before kicking off his boots. He planted his head on his pillow, which felt amazing after his long day. He pulled off his gloves, laying them on his end table. Pulling his sheet up to his waist, he rested his hands on his stomach, neatly folded together as he stared up at the ceiling above. "The Shepherds are definitely a more colorful bunch that I would have expected..." He thought, able to hear Vaike snoring not too far away. "Tomorrow will be my first day as an official member, I suppose."

Robin let out a quiet yawn as his eyes slowly closed shut, both eager and nervous for whatever the next day may bring. Whatever that was, though, only time would tell.


	2. Author's Note 1

Author's Notes 1

Hey everybody, long time no see. Sorry if seeing an update got your hopes up, but I just wanted you all to know that I AM still working on this story, as well as my other one. I'm a procrastinator, and my progress has been horrendous, but please continue to be patient. As of now, I am focusing my efforts on Haki of Fire, since it has been longer since I last updated it than since I posted A Novel Experience. Rest assured, though, because they will both continue! I will be posting this note in both stories as an update.

I thank you for your continued patience and feedback, and hope that the next time I post on this website will be Chapter 6 of Haki of Fire. I promise it will not be much longer, at most a couple of weeks. Until then, I hope you can find some other good stories to read!


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